Technical Director

at  Royal Shakespeare Company

Do you have a demonstrable track record of delivering the technical and production aspects of making large-scale theatre? Are you experienced in, and committed to leading, inspiring, and developing people? Can you drive sustainable innovations in theatre-making ensuring it meets 21st century demands and is fit for the future? Are you dedicated to fostering a safe, equitable and inclusive working environment?

We are looking for a Technical Director to provide strategic and operational leadership of the RSC’s Technical Operations and Production teams. In this role, you will be primarily responsible for:

• Realising all technical and production aspects of the creative programme on time and to budget;
• Driving innovations in theatre-making, understanding and responding to opportunities and challenges in building an operation that meets environmental, technological and workforce demands;
• Providing inspirational leadership to the Production and Technical Heads of Department and wider teams;
• Developing strategies to diversify our technical workforce to be a pipeline for talent and skills development for the creative industries – making the RSC the place every artist, creative, manager, craftsperson and technician wants to work.

This role leads a highly skilled and multi-disciplinary set of departments with many different working patterns and environments. We are looking for someone who can lead these teams through many interlocking needs, such as clear planning (Artistic and Workforce), and regular points of intense pressure, given the need to meet ambitious goals and deadlines.
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team you will contribute to the RSC’s overall strategic objectives, including creating, leading and role-modelling a respectful and inclusive working environment for all, encouraging behaviours in line with RSC values.
Reporting to the Executive Director and with responsibility for Technical Operations and Production Heads of Departments, Technical Coordinator and Production Managers, key areas of responsibility include (please see the full job description and person specification for the comprehensive list):

We are looking for a Technical Director to provide strategic and operational leadership of the RSC’s Technical Operations and Production teams. In this role, you will be primarily responsible for:

• Realising all technical and production aspects of the creative programme on time and to budget;
• Driving innovations in theatre-making, understanding and responding to opportunities and challenges in building an operation that meets environmental, technological and workforce demands;
• Providing inspirational leadership to the Production and Technical Heads of Department and wider teams;
• Developing strategies to diversify our technical workforce to be a pipeline for talent and skills development for the creative industries – making the RSC the place every artist, creative, manager, craftsperson and technician wants to work

To be suitable for this role, it is essential that you have the following knowledge and experience:

• A demonstrable track record of delivering the technical and production aspects of making large-scale theatre.
• Proven ability of working collaboratively with world-class and ambitious creative teams
• Excellent technical skills with current knowledge and understanding of equipment, systems, procedures, stagecraft, and the use of technology across all main areas of technical theatre.
• Significant experience of leading and motivating managers of multi-skilled departments to deliver projects successfully and on time and within budget.
• An understanding of union agreements and experience of managing trade union relations and negotiations.
• Ability to create structures and environments in which everyone can do their best work.
• Strong awareness and adherence to health and safety legislation and other relevant statutory obligations.
• Robust financial management skills, with a strong understanding of management accounts and the ability to manage significant resource and budgets